Automatic wagon-brake



(No Model.) 2 sheets Sheet l. J. KIRLIN. AUTOMATIC WAGON BRAKE.

No. 543,532. Patented July 30, 1895.

' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. KIRLIN.. AUTOMATIC WAGON BRAKE.

No. 543,532, Patented July so, 1895.

wmtoz Q 6 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE KIRLIN, OF STUART, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC, WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,532, dated July 30,1895.

Application filed July 14, 1 894- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JESSE KIRLIN, a resident of Stuart, inthe county ofGuthrie and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Wagon Brakes; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in automatic wagon-brakes, theobj ect being to provide simple mechanism for automatically applying thebrake during the descent of an incline and preventing the application ofthe brake during the backing of the vehicle.

A further object is to provide adjustment to compensate for wear uponthe brake-shoes.

\Vith these objects in view my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of invention and combination of parts, which will behereinafter described,and pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in longitudinalsection, parts being in elevation, to show my improved brake mechanismandits application to a wagon. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion ofthe vehicle and brake mechanism, showing the position assumed by thebrake-shoes when the vehicle is backed. Fig. 3 is a view in frontelevation to show the brake-shoes. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views,and Figs. 7 and 8 are modifications.

A A represent the axles of the wagon; b, the tongue; 0, the reach, and dd the Wheels.

B B are the brake-shoesor rubs which it is the object of my presentinvention to apply to the rear Wheels of the vehicle at the righttime-that is to say, when descending an incline, and prevent theapplication when the vehicle is beingbacked. These shoes or rubs B B arepreferably wider than the wheel-tires, and secured to the brake-bar 1 ata proper distance apart to correspond with the distance of the rearwheels apart. The bar 1 is suspended from a cross-bar 2 by means ofhanger-rod 3 and the cross-bar is held on the bounds 4: 4; by means ofan elongated clip 5, the length of whichis greater than the width of thebounds, admitting of a lateral adjustment of cross-bar 2, in order toapply an un- Serial No. 517,589- (No model.)

used and unworn part of the brake-shoes to the wheels after theremaining portion has been worn by use. The brake-shoes or rubs beingsuspended loosely a short distance in front of the rear wheels, theirapplicationis efl'ected in the'following manner and by the followingmechanism: A rod or equivalent device 6, capable of tensile strain,extends from the forward end of the tongue to the rear axle of thevehicle, it passing under or over the brake-bar and loosely through aloop 7 under the front axle, which constitutes a guide therefor. At itsforward end the rod has attached to it a cable or other flexible device8, which passes around a sheave 9 at or near the end of the tongue andthence to the neck-yoke 10, to which it is secured. The neck-yoke itselfhas sliding connection with the end of the pole or tongue. As someflexi: bility is necessary at or near the point where the fifth-wheel islocated,the rod 6 is made in sections, and these sections are connectedat this point by a cable or flexible connection 12; otherwise therewould be danger of bending the rod out of shape at this point, and inconsequence impairing the operativ'eness of the brake. The rear end ofthe rod or device 6 is also preferably made in sections, so that it maybe adjusted to the reach when the latter is lengthened or shortened. Atits rear end this rod 6 is pivotally connected with a horizontal lever13, the latter being pivoted on a bracket 14, secured to the rear axle.A rod or equivalent'device 15 extends from the opposite end of thislever 13 to the brake and thence to the whiffletree, and the manner inwhich this rod is connected to the brake-bar and to the whiffletreeswill now be explained. The bolt 16, which connects the whiffletree tothe tongue or pole, passes through elongated slots 17 and 18 in thetongue and strap 19 respectively. A cable or equivalent flexible device20 extends from the bolt 16 through the loop 7, and is secured at itsrear end to the rod 15. This rod 15 is provided with an adjusting devicethe same as rod 6 for lengthening and shortening it; also the rod ismade in sections, hinged or pivoted together at 21. The rear section ofthis rod 15 is furnished with a sleeve 22, through which the rod extendsloosely. To this sleeve an arm 23, proj ecting forwardly from thebrake-bar, is

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the wheels when occasion may require their adjustment.

In the modification shown in Fig 7, in lieu of the sheave at the end ofthe tongue or pole, the rod 6 is connected to the lower end of a lever28, and the lever is f ulcrumed at or near its center on the end of thetongue, while the upper end is connected by a short rod or similar meansto the neck-yoke, so that a backward pull operates the brake as before.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8 the shoe B is hinged to bar 1.

In operation the team is held back 'in descending a hill, in the usualmanner, by the bit. This draws rod 6 forward and the brake shoes or rubsbackward against the rear wheels. In starting forward again the firstdraft applied to the whiiiietree causes a reverse movement to thebrake-shoes. Of course it will be borne in mind that the wheels indescending a. bill are turning just the same as they are in ordinarytransit, and therefore the tendency is to carry the brake-shoesdownward, the rods stopping them and holding them in place against thewheels. Now, in backing the wagon, the wheelstnrn in the oppositedirection and cause the brake-shoes to tilt upward, as shown in Fig. 2,practically out of frictional contact with the wheels.

The lever 13 is so connected with other parts of the brake mechanismthat the end where rod 15 is pivoted to it stands about one inch fromthe bracket 14 when the wagon is descendingahill.Consequentlyast-hebrakebar 1 is rocked over into the position shown inFig. 2 by the friction of the wheels against the shoes in backing itallows rod 15 to move back still farther until the end of the lever 13,to which it is attached, engages the bracket 14, which forms a stop forit, and thus any additional backward hold instead of being applied tothe brakcbar is received directly upon the bracket 14.

Other slight variations in details may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish tolimit myself to the precise construction herein shown; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic brake mechanism for vehicles, the combination withthe vehicle, a brake bar suspended from the vehicle and capable ofrocking over, and shoes or rubs attached to the brake bar, of a leverpivoted to the vehicle, one end of this lever having connection with thebrake bar and adapted to be fastened to a neck yoke or the hold backpart of the vehicle and the other end of the lever having connectionwith the draft part of the vehicle, this lever constructed to strike thevehicle to limit its vibration in one direction when the brake bar isrocked whereby to receive the application of the backward hold and takeit from the brake shoes or rubs, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic brake for vehicles, the combination with the vehicle,a lever pivoted thereto, and rods extending from the ends for- Ward, oneconnected with the neck yoke and the other with the whifiletrecs, of abrake bar located above both rods and having a hinged connection withone of the rods, said bar carrying brake shoes or rubs, substantially asset forth.

In an automatic brake mechanism for vehicles, the combination with thevehicle, a whitlletree, and a neck yoke, each of which has a slidingconnection with the tongue of the vehicle, of a lever pivotallyconnected with the vehicle, rods extending from the ends of the leverforward, one to the neck yoke and f the other to the whiffletrees, theserods having flexible connections, and a brake bar connected with one ofthese rods and carrying shoes or rubs adapted to engage wheels of thevehicle, substantially as set forth.

4. In an automatic brake for vehicles, the combination with the vehicle,and brake bar suspended therefrom, of a lever having pivotal connectionwith the vehicle, rods extending from the ends of this lever forward, asleeve through which one of these rods extends and to which an armextending from the brake bar is hinged, and means for ad justing the rodthrough this sleeve and so curing it in said adjustment, substantiallyas set forth.

5. The combination with a vehicle, of a brake bar having shoes or rubsthereon, and means for shifting this bar endwise to throw differentportions of the shoes opposite the wheels, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a vehicle, of brakebar having shoes thereon ofgreater width than the width of the wheel tires, a cross bar connectedwith the vehicle, a hanger for connecting the brake-bar to the crossbar, and means for effecting a lateral adjustment of this cross barrelative to the vehicle wheels to apply different portions of thebrake-shoes to the wheels, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JESSE KIRLIN.

lVitnesses:

D. H. PEOK, EMMA KIRLIN.

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